


Delphinium and Periwinkle Wedding

by Astoria Gracewell (arh581958)



Series: #MalecWeek [5]
Category: Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Historical, Cecily cursing in welsh, Drunk!Will, First Impressions, First Kiss, First Meetings, M/M, Sexual Tension, Weddings, alternative universe - 1800s, day 5 - Back to the Future, malecweek, set in the Infernal Devices timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 18:10:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7855756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arh581958/pseuds/Astoria%20Gracewell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, gatecrashing a wedding can be fun when he's got his eye on a certain dark-haired blue-eyed Nephilim who happens to be cousins with the groom. </p><p>(Or: the 1800's wedding!AU during Gabriel and Cecily's wedding~)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Delphinium and Periwinkle Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **MalecWeek2016 Day 5** \- _Back to the Future_
> 
> I had originally planned to participate in MalecWeek since its announcement _months_ ago, but my thesis got in the way and I couldn't open my AO3 account for a whole week. So, as an apology to all of you, I am posting seven stories today for MalecWeek, as a late entry. I hope you still enjoy it even it it's a week late! 
> 
> **Not Beta Read. Beta Open for Volunteers.**
> 
> PS. I have not read the Infernal Devices Trilogy. So forgive me for any character inaccuracies. I tried with shadowwiki.

Weddings were never really Magnus’ thing. They were long and boring and full of ritualistic traditions that made absolutely no sense to him. Most of his friends—warlocks in particular—didn’t have an affinity with the very mundane social construct called _marriage_. To put it simply, it just wasn’t in his blood. In Bratvia, a man and a woman joined together to combine the affluence of their individual houses—a political move.

So, no, it wasn’t as if he believed in the so-called sanctity of it. He slunk back to the edge of the hall with a new glass from the passing servant. A single goblet wouldn’t be missed. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to crash the wedding in the first place.

“What am I doing here?” He swirled the dark goblet of wine, staring into his reflection in the crimson-colored liquid. “Come to the wedding, Will said. It’ll be fun, Will said.” He scoffed into the golden-plated rim as he drank. The wine was sweet to satisfy Cecily’s ever-present sweet tooth. He wished he had either Ragnor or Catarina by his side instead of all these bigoted Shadowhunters.

“You forgot that there’s also free booze, Will said,” said the man himself with a jubilant expression, patting Magnus on the shoulder. “Relax, Magnus, it’s my sister’s wedding and I invited you! To celebrate! Drink the Lightwood’s whole cellar of booze as payment for taking my sister!” He joked genially, sloshing his cup around.

Magnus grimaced as dark liquid hit the fabric of his long dark tailcoat. Good thing that he chose to go with darker shades of violet instead of his usual grey. It felt fitting to have the grey closer to his skin than usual. He disappeared the stain with a quick flick of his fingers, wary of the eyes lurking in the corners that were so eager to judge him.

Red-faced Will hiccupped beside him. Despite the obvious intoxication, violet-blue eyes darted at the action and sent Magnus a sad look. He said nothing but offered Magnus another fresh glass from the passing servant. “Join me for a drink to liven up this Gabriel’s boring excuse for a party. I swear Cecily is marrying the lesser fun brother!”

“Cachau bant, Fwcar!” Cecily cursed her brother in Welsh. For a woman who appeared so delicate and small, she had a potty-mouth worse than a sailor if one could understand her—and Magnus could. Wine nearly squirted from his nose if it weren’t for his self-control.

“Ahh, the lovely bride,” he greeted her with a kiss to the back of her hand. “It’s all in good fun. I’m sure your brother’s simply joking. By the looks of it, there’s more wine than blood pumping through his veins right now. A vampire would get drunk just by sucking his blood.”

Cecily laughed, all prim and lady-like, but her words were the complete opposite. “Any vamp who’ll try will have to get through me first. He might be a complete pen coc but he’s still my brother,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Now, are you two going to stay here in this lonely corner of the room or are you both going to join us in the main hall? Will, you should ask Tessa to dance with you!”

Magnus chuckled under his breath. “I don’t think he’s in any condition to dance. Poor Tessa’s going to have to drag him across the dance floor.”

Cecily remained unperturbed. “If that’s what it takes then so be it.” She took them both by the wrist and led them to the adjourning hall which was prepared specifically for dancing. It was surprising crowded with Nephilim. With these numbers, the Automaton war would have easily been defeated but so many faces were new.

“What’s _he_ doing here?” The sneer came from a girl in the middle of a small group of strangers. Their features bore a striking resemblance to the groom but, given their manner of dressing, they didn’t appear to be from London at all because their fashions came from across the ocean.   

“I beg your _pardon_?!” Will’s challenged back, voice rising several times over with rage. Alcohol and his temper weren’t easy to mix. He had less control of his emotions while drunk. “Just who do you think you are? Insulting my _friend_ like that? Well?”

The girl opened her mouth to speak but another voice spoke instead, “Isabelle, that is enough!” It was softly spoken yet possessed authority as hard as diamonds, and the girl, Isabelle, immediately closed her mouth. Her cheeks, though, puffed red in annoyance. A very tall lad stepped out of the crowd to address them.

Magnus’ breath hitched. It probably was the _most handsome_ man that his cursed golden-green eyes had ever laid eyes on. For the first time, in a very long time, he was speechless and caught off-guard like a fool. He didn’t even know the guy’s name!

“Alexander.” Cecily answered the question for him, greeting the handsome gentleman with a smile. “Thank you. You’re indeed as charming as Gabriel said you were. I don’t believe that you’ve had the pleasure of meeting my brother, Will, and a friend of ours, Magnus Bane.”

Contrary to the earlier show of dominance, Alexander appeared somewhat-shy when shaking hands with Will and Magnus—perhaps more so with Magnus than Will. Magnus tried not to delve too much into that. Thankfully, Alexander didn’t seem to noticed Magnus’ internal monologue.

“Alexander Lightwood, Gabriel’s cousin, but please call me Alec,” he introduced himself. The handshake, perhaps in Magnus’ awestruck-mind, lasted a fraction longer than strictly necessary and that pinkish hue on Alec’s face was simply alcohol working its magic. When they parted, he presented the girl from earlier. “And this is my younger sister, Isabelle. You must forgive her rudeness. We come from a very… conservative household.”

Will didn’t seem to hear the apology. He glared at Isabelle with daggers in his eyes.

“There’s no need to explain yourself to them, Alec.” Isabelle crossed her hands over her chest.

Alec was undeterred. He kept his placating smile. “Isabelle, they are Gabriel’s friend and it is Gabriel’s wedding. We can at least try to avoid making a big fuss out of this. He’s a guest just like we are.” At one point, she caught Cecily’s eye for a silent plea for help. “Besides, you do not want to waste your whole night in a meaningless tantrum.”

“Alexander is right, Isabelle, why don’t we find my cousin Jonathan and manipulate him into asking you for a dance? The music is so nice. I bet you’ll love his waltz. He’s been training with…” and her voice faded away while she pulled the younger girl away from them.

Alec bounced on the balls of his feet nervously. “Once more, I feel like I should apologize for my sister. I assure you that she’s not as insolent as she seems. It’s just that our parents in the New York Institute are…” He looked everywhere except Magnus and Will, perhaps not knowing what to say.

“Pig-headed bigots who are stuck in the 16th century!” Will spat out venomously, throwing his hand wide and splashing Alec’s white waistcoat. “That what they are,” he accused, “aren’t they? Too afraid to tell us? You and your _American_ attitude think you’re too good for us, English, huh?”

Alec looked like a fish out of water.

“Will.” Magnus tried to appease his friend’s uncalled for anger. “Will, come on, it’s fine. I’ve heard worse. It’s not an uncommon prejudice, even you would know that, really, you shouldn’t make it into such a big deal…”

“But that’s not right, Magnus, not all warlocks are blood. It’s not blood that defines you, yes? We’re more than that. We’re _supposed_ to be more than that. Even someone with tainted blood is more than a purebred Nephilim who can’t defend what’s _right_ , not just against demons. Jem even…” Will slurred, hiccupping more and more between every word, body slumping forward.

Alec moved shifty, catching Will with a grunt before the older boy could hit the ground.

“Damnit, Will!” Magnus hissed under his breath.

“I believe that Cecily’s brother has had enough to drink tonight.” Alec pointed out, tone completely free from inflection. It sounded cool and reserved, completely professional despite the earlier altercation and the harsh words thrown at his face. “Is there any place we can let him lie down? I’m still unfamiliar with the upper-floors’ layout.”

Magnus, to speak so plainly, was impressed. “You think I know my way around?”

“Well,” Alec shrugged, “Cecily said you were a friend. Was I wrong to assume that you’ve been here before?”

“Yes and no.” Magnus shook his head and swung Will’s other arm over his shoulder. “I know Cecily through this dummy, but I haven’t had a chance to explore these halls.” He heard Alex curse under his breath, and it was possibly the most endearing kind of potty-mouthing he’s ever heard. “I can make a portal to Will’s room, if that helps.”

Alec’s eyes grew wide. “You really are a warlock, aren’t you?”

“Of course, I am. You think these are all for show?” Magnus waved a hand over his eyes, seeing Alec’s irises contract. It could mean something more than he was willing to read into at the moment so he forced through thoughts down. “Trust me enough to take you there?”

Alec worried at his lip, white teeth biting his bottom lip, then slowly nodded. “O—okay, Magnus, I—I trust you.”

Somehow, those three words felt more than any other compliment that Magnus’s ever received in his life. He snapped his fingers with more showmanship than necessary just to watch the look of pure amazement in Alec Lightwood’s blue eyes, and that’s the first time he realized how beautiful a color blue was.

They stepped through the portal of light and entered Will’s bedroom in the Lightwood Manor, balancing the drunk man between them. Their hands met for a second while rearranging Will. It took a while but they managed to deposit the drunkard onto the bed without much fuss. Soon, Will was snoring on his bed, drooling on the pillow.

“Shall we head back?” Magnus offered, slicing through the awkward silence with a sharp knife. He rubbed his hands together, pretending it was to make another portal when in truth he simply wanted to rid of the buzzing feeling on his skin their hands touched.

Alec kept his eyes averted once again.

“Or I can leave, if that’s what you prefer. You do not have to bear with my presence for much longer than necessary.”

“What? No!” Alec hissed loudly, almost like a shout but mindful of the sleeping William. “That’s not what I… I mean that’s not…” He flushed dark red, hands running through his mop of curly black hair, his body turned away. He won’t even look at Magnus. It irked the warlock.

“I would offer a portal but I happen to like my head where it stays, yes? It’s not wise to portal into a room full of blood-thirsty Nephilim.” Magnus forgot to throw caution to the wind. Something about _this_ particular Nephilim made his skin itch. He wanted to get a rise out of the prim and proper dark-haired man, to see the Shadowhunter from the ballroom who talked down his own sister.

Blue eyes burned with a fury Magnus had only seen in Will once before—protective instinct rising to the surface, ingrained with years of cultivation. “Not all Nephilim are blood thirsty hunters.” But, surprisingly, there was a quiet regret there, laced with shame, “Shadowhunters were supposed to protect this world. That’s why the Angel made us.”

“Raziel.” Magnus pointed out.

Alec spun around in surprise. “You know about the angel.”

Magnus would have been insulted if he didn’t find that bewildered expression _cute_. Putting on his façade, he smirked, sauntering forward until the tips of their black dress shoes touched. To his surprise, the Nephilim stayed rooted on the spot. “Of course I do, sweet cheeks, there are things you need to know in order to survive this long. Number one’s knowing about your greatest nightmare—you.”

Something flashed in Magnus eyes. For a second, he feared that a seraph blade would skewered him through the gut but instead he felt dry chapped lips pressing against his own and a hair of hands buried at the back of his neck.

They were kissing!

A warlock and a Shadowhunter.

Kissing.

All too quickly, Alec pulled away with the same jittery expression on his face. Magnus recognized the look now. It wasn’t nearly as bad as he initially believed— _Alec was shy!_ Of all the things, of all the boy’s angelic powers, he was a blushing little virgin, and now Magnus _knew_.

He thumbed over Alec’s bottom lip. “You haven’t done this before, have you, _Alexander_?” He purred out the name, knowing quite well how he can modulate his tone.

Alec merely nodded.

“The whole kissing thing? Kissing a guy? Or kissing a Downworlder?” Magnus asked, eyes firmly locked onto Alec’s blue eyes. Heat radiated between them. If Magnus had a bad sense of humor, he’d call it as fiery as the depths of hell, but he hadn’t gone to hell yet. Instead, he chose to prolong the teasing. “So what is it, Alexander?”

“All—all of it,” Alec confessed, looking away with a blush. “I’m sorry I… I shouldn’t have done that… that was wrong of me to presume that I… that you… I hadn’t even asked permission. I shouldn’t have taken advantage…. I…. I….”

Magnus grinned. “You are quite a blabber mouth when you’re nervous, aren’t you?” He said in amusement, one hand attempting to salvage the hair on the back of his head with a few strings of magic. Then, he placed his magic-warm hand to Alec’s cheek. “Trust me, darling, I might not look like it but you wouldn’t get near me if I hadn’t allowed it.”

Alec hitched a breath. “So… can I… can I do it again?”

Magnus’s grin only grew wider. “As you wish.” He pressed their lips together, then opened his mouth. Their tongues met at the center, tentative at first but it grew it confidence. Soon, they were battling for dominance. Hands went everywhere—to the lapels of their coats, the buttons of their vests, and underneath their shirts.

Alec, the little minx, went to rub their lower bodies together in a shameless need for friction. They both groaned at the feeling. This was it, something that Magnus had been missing for his long destitute life. It came in the name and form of Alexander Lightwood. He would do anything to keep him. This shy boy of a Shadowhunter with a hidden fire that burned hotter than a thousand sons.

“Aw, Magnus, _come on_ , Angels! Can’t you debauch my new cousin-in-law-in-law somewhere else? I’m in the goddamn room!” Will’s voice broke whatever spell that befell on the newly formed pair. And, in an instant, they flew apart, quite uselessly to pretend it didn’t happen. “I’m drunk not blind. I saw that a block away!”

“William, I… I…” Alec stuttered like he’d just been caught like a kid with his hand inside the cookie jar, guilty for all the wrong reasons. “I…”

Magnus grabbed his hand, weaving them together. He gave his best smile to Will. “We were just leaving, weren’t we, sweet cheeks?”

Alec squeezed their linked fingers. “Yes. We… we were. Your place?” He added with a hopeful note at the end. It made Magnus’ heart flutter like an adolescent boy. When he looked at Will, he only saw his friend’s concerned look.

Will rubbed at his temples. “Oh, don’t go looking at me like that, Magnus, I am _not_ going to be privy to you debauching my sister younger cousin-in-law. He barely looks like he’s legal!”

“I am eighteen and I can make my own decisions.” Alec snapped back, surprising both Magnus and Will. “I mean that I am… I am of legal age and legal consent. I am free to socialize with whomever I wish to socialize with, without a chaperone.”

“So what? You’re just going to talk?” Will snorted, unconvinced, making Alec go redder in the face.

“William! What are you implying?” Magnus cut in, sounding overly scandalized, “ _Of course_ , we are going to talk. We simply must get to know each other better. He’s such an interesting little Nephilim, and believe me, I’ve taken _quite_ an interest.”

“Magnus!” Alec’s embarrassment was adorable. “Can we please just go? I can send my sister a fire message tomorrow. I doubt she’ll be sober enough to read one tonight.” He leaned in close, fingers clutching the hem of Magnus’ shirt sleeve. “Please.”

Magnus smiled and kissed the top of Alec’s head. “Anything you wish, Alexander.” He waved his fingers and created a portal straight to Ragnor’s small house in the country. He’d borrowed it for his London sabbatical while Ragnor was touring Asia. It was a fair trade. He turned once to Will before leaving, “I seem to have re-evaluated by stand on weddings.”

“Oh?” came the response.

Magnus took Alec’s hand, and nodded. “Weddings are wonderful beginnings.” With that said, he stepped into the portal with the warm comforting presence of Alec’s hand curled in his. Truly wonderful beginnings await them on the other side.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really, really sorry for the late entry! *bows* But I finish it all now, see? Story #5~
> 
> If you have a prompt or an idea, you can [INSPIRE ME](http://arh581958.tumblr.com/submit) on tumblr. Or [TALK TO ME](http://arh581958.tumblr.com/ask)~
> 
> As always, **kudos/comments/bookmarks** are all appreciated by this author. I take comments as extra-kudos and I _do_ read the bookmark tags (some are really fun).


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